Newspaper receptacle for rural delivery



Sept. 24,1957 R. w. GIESELER NEWSPAPER RECEPTACLE FOR RURAL DELIVERY m m a w M 2 m a 5/ I I II N 5 y W 2 I E a a V N N G R d 1 0 I T a L T I a A w llul |Il||||11ln| WW M w W. H Ill l l l l lH IIHH nw l h l l l lfl 5 W a Y I United States PatentO NEWSPAPER RECEPTACLE FOR RURAL .DELIVERY 7 Russell W. Gieseler, Jamestown, N. Y.

Application December 9, 1953, Serial No. 397,089

3 Claims. 7 (Cl. 232-33) My invention relates in general to newspaper receptacles for roadside delivery, 'andin particular to an improved receptacle designed for the delivery of 7 newspapers and other articles to rural homes.

As is well known, the present-day rural receptacle for newspapers is generally in the form of a tube that is opened at one end and requires that the delivery vehicle come to a full stop to effect the delivery by inserting the newspaper in the open end. This results in a delay incident to such delivery.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a receptacle so designed that newspapers may be placed therein while the delivery vehicle is in motion and thereby expedites the operation and results in a reduction of wear and tear upon the vehicle.

Again, the invention aims to provide a newspaper receptacle which may be economically manufactured and installed and one which will expedite and facilitate the delivery of newspapers to the home in a practical manner and in the saving of time as well as wear and tear on the delivery vehicle.

Another object is to provide a device of this nature which not only shortens the time of delivery but also affords maximum protection from the weather for the inserted material;

A further object is to provide means for frictionally holding delivered material within the receptacle.

A further object is to provide a newspaper receptacle having a substantially hollow body arranged in a vertical position and formed with an elongated funnelshaped entrance opening. The receiver or receptacle is provided at each side of the entrance opening with a retaining flange engageable with the inserted material to prevent its being accidentally removed therefrom.

The above and other objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings; of which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my device;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof taken on line II-II of Fig. 3; and,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalview taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 1.

My device comprises a body 10 made from suitable material, such as sheet metal, plastic, or cast or extruded materials, and formed substantially U-shaped in cross section to provide an article receiving chamber having a back wall 11 and side walls 12 and 13. A longitudinally arranged entrance opening 14 extends substantially for the full length of the body. The entrance opening is narrower than the interior width of the body and is provided at each side with an inturned flange 15 having an outwardly flaring wing 16. This forms a substantially funnel-shaped guide at the entrance of the receptacle for guiding the inserted material into the body.

Another function for the inturned flanges 15 is that it forms internal retaining shoulders to obstruct acci- Patented Sept. 24, 1957 dental displacement of the newspaper as by the wind whipping the paper from the receptacle.

A retaining spring 20 is disposed within the body chamber and has a base portion 21 secured to the back wall 11 at a point substantially mid-way the length of the body. Two spring arms 22 are extended forwardly from the base in spaced relation and each is formed with a curve-shaped portion terminating in an end portion 23 arranged substantially at right angles to the body portion of the arm. The curve shaped portions are preferably held in intimate contact with each other, whereby to press firmly against the material inserted in the receptacle. The end 23 of each spring arm is guided through and supported by a slot 24 formed in each of the side walls 12 and 13. Thus, the'spring arms. are yieldably held in position to facilitate their displacement by the inserted material which is thereafter adequately supported by the arms. I

The receiver may be mounted either horizontally or vertically and when vertically disposed the body is provided with a cover 25 which forms a top for the body. The under surface of the cover is provided with grooves 26 to receive the upper edge of the body, whereby toadd to the stability of the device and to prevent distortion of the body thereof. The grooves are made to conform to the cross sectional shape of the body and reverse extensions 26 may be provided to enable the body to be mounted in either of two positions to face the on-coming traffic from either direction. The cover is provided with a peripheral drip head 30 on its under surface to discharge the moisture away from the receptacle body and its contents.

A vertically arranged mounting bracket 31 is attached to the cover 25 and has a transversely extending arm 32 secured at its outer end 33 to the rear wall 11. The mounting bracket 31 may be secured to a roadside post 35 which may be the usual mail box support.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that when a folded newspaper, which term as used herein includes magazines and other small articles, is to be placed into the receptacle the person delivering it will thrust the same through the entranceway 14, the wings 16 acting to guide the material into the receptacle. The material is forced into the receiving chamber between the arms 22 of the spring clasp 20 which separate for this purpose. The newspaper above and below the clasp will expand behind the internal retaining shoulders or flanges 15 and interlock therewith to assist the spring clasp in retaining the article within the receptacle.

While the receptacle is shown as being substantially square in cross section, it is obvious that it may take any desired and suitable cross sectional shape. Furthermore, while the bracket support is shown attached to the usual mail box post, it is obvious that it can be formed otherwise and be attached, for instance, to a standard rural mail box.

These and other modifications of the details herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims, and I do not wish to be limited tothe embodiment herein shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. A newspaper delivery receptacle comprising a hollow elongate body formed with a longitudinal entrance opening in one side thereof defined by article retaining shoulders, a spring carried within the body and formed with outwardly flaring arms exposed through the entrance opening and mutually cooperating to grasp an inserted article, means for slidably supporting the arms behind the retaining shoulders, and angularly arranged wings at the entrance opening to provide a funnel-shaped oppositely arranged spring arms converging toward the entrance opening and thence having curve-shaped end portions extending out behind the retaining shoulders and slidably supported in openings in the sides of the,

body, and wings formed on the body at each side of the entrance opening to guide such an inserted article between the spring arms.

3. A newspaper delivery receptacle comprising a hollow elongate body formed with a longitudinal entrance opening in one side thereof defined by article retaining shoulders, a spring carried within the body, the spring having two oppositely arranged spring arms slidably supported behind the retaining shoulders for separating to receive an inserted article, the arms being pressed toward each other and each having a curve-shapcd portion formed at substantially the points of contact thereby providing a flaring expansible entrance space between them, each arm having an oppositely extending end portion, the end portions being slidably disposed in openings formed in the side walls of the body, and Wings formed on the adjacent edges of the retaining shoulder and flaring outwardly to provide a guide for such inserted article in substantial registration with the entrance space between the spring arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 407,524 Hall July 23, 1889 717,888 Miller Jan. 6, 1903 808,872 Raymond Ian. 2, 1906 904,979 Morris Nov. 24, 1908 958,526 Pate May 17, 1910 1,295,624 Smith Feb. 25, 1919 2,142,901 Kellam Ian. 3, 1939 2,414,613 Ruetsch Jan. 21, 1947 

